Effect of an iodine-containing additive on the composition, structure, and morphology of chemically deposited lead selenide films

The effect of an ammonium iodide additive on the elemental and phase compositions, structural parameters, and surface morphology of lead selenide films synthesized by chemical deposition from aqueous solutions has been studied using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. It has been established that the obtained PbSe films have a multiphase structure. The iodine content of the films is directly proportional to the NH$_4$I concentration in the reaction mixture and increases linearly with an increase in this concentration to 0.25 mol/L. No individual iodine-containing phases have been detected in the film structure. However, the introduction of iodine leads to an increase in the PbSe phase lattice parameter from $\sim$ 6.11 to $\sim$ 6.16 $\mathring{\mathrm{A}}$ and to a decrease in the crystal grain size to $\sim$ 20 nm. It has been found that there is a correlation between the grain size, lattice parameter, and ammonium iodide concentration in the reaction mixture, which can be explained by changes in the film growth mechanism at the initial growth steps.